§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the proportion of the £11,344,751 spent on hospital catering services in the year ended March 1977 which can be 196W accounted for by Northern Ireland-produced primary agriculture products or secondary manufactured food products; and if he will make a statement on the possibility of increasing the Northern Ireland share of the market.
§ Mr. CarterThis information is not readily available and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, of the £11,344,751 spent on hospital catering services in the year ended March 1977, about £5.9 million was spent on provisions and the remaining £5.4 million on salaries and wages.
The Government's policy on placing public sector supply contracts is to obtain what is needed, at the right time and in such a way as to secure the best value for money spent, while at the same time having regard to the desirability of providing positive encouragement to Northern Ireland industry.